I have an imbalance in my hamstrings that's been affecting squat & deadlift. The weaker leg (right) upper biceps femoris feelstight, and fatigues quickly. This occurs at full squat or initial pull off the floor with my knees bent. My push isn't explosive off this leg. Neither is explosive under load, but this one especially. I feel I need to knee in momentarily. Or it feels as if I want to get on my right toe, even though I need to (should) stay on the heel. Toe flare helps. Keeping toes straight forward is something that definitely aggravates this.

Working on it with foam roller, two or three different stretches. This has "been there" for a long time, but just now it's starting to get my attention.

I cant tell if one leg is weaker than another, but my left hamstring is visibly larger and more developed than the right. My right calf is also larger and more developed than my left one. While I'm far from being a "physique" athlete, the imbalance kinda bothers me and makes me worry that it may signal a strength imbalance that will cause injury further down the road.

I can do single leg DL with same weight on either side and don't notice any strength difference in Deadlift (605lb) or backsquat (550lb).

I don't think you have a strength imbalance, although attempting to correct your size difference could create on. I think that an asymmetry on one side gives a mechanical advantage due to better insertion points or something, and then the other side compensates by getting bigger so your strength evens out. Most people have some asymmetry somewhere except the genetically gifted.

_________________Stu Ward_________________Let thy food be thy medicine, and thy medicine be thy food.~HippocratesStrength is the adaptation that leads to all other adaptations that you really care about - Charles Staley_________________Thanks TimD

When using the bench its important to position yourself so that you don't limit your range of motion, you don't want your abdomen to be digging into the pad. That'll prevent you from keeping an arch in your back through the ROM.

What's your advice for getting R and L leg from where they are (different in strength) to where they will perform the same? High reps? Lower intensity (the left is already at a lower intensity, the right is maxed)?

What's your advice for getting R and L leg from where they are (different in strength) to where they will perform the same? High reps? Lower intensity (the left is already at a lower intensity, the right is maxed)?

Keep in mind that the single-leg deadlift is an assistance exercise to bring your weaker hamstrings up. It is not a replacement for the squats and deadlifts, which should remain the foundations of your leg workout.

When doing squats/deadlifts, bring your poundage up to the level just before your weaker right leg starts to complain. Then do the single-leg deadlifts - start with low weight/higher reps, then add weight and lower reps as you get better with the exercise. This is an isolation exercise for the hamstrings, though - you aren't going to use anywhere near the weight you use for squats/deadlifts. Keep the poundages/reps the same for both legs. Over several weeks, see if there is any improvement in your right leg as you slowly add more weight to your squats/deadlifts.

But, like Stu said, some differences will always remain. As you increase your overall strength, the differences will matter less.

The tightness/weakness in your right hamstring suggests that it was injured sometime in the past. The foam roller is a great idea to get rid of knots in the muscle due to scar tissue. Keep it up.

Remember that the glutes, not the hamstrings, are the dominant hip extensor. Tight hip flexors can inhibit the glute's hip extension, forcing the hamstrings to work harder than they should. Formerly sedentary people getting involved in a serious leg exercise program find that there are a host of flexibility/stability issues (in the lower back, hips and thighs) that have to be resolved to make progress.

senorpancho wrote:

My push isn't explosive off this leg. Neither is explosive under load, but this one especially.

Once you get your right hamstring straightened out, you might want to add some speed/power training to your routine. Standard training doesn't increase explosiveness that much

<<Remember that the glutes, not the hamstrings, are the dominant hip extensor. Tight hip flexors can inhibit the glute's hip extension, forcing the hamstrings to work harder than they should.>>

I am interested in this -- I don't know that I have the expertise here -- most exercises I do work both hamstrings and glutes at the same time. Examples of these being "back" extensions (low support so that the back is held stationary as opposed to high support so the spine moves), squats, deadlifts, RDLs, and swings. So there is always a possibility as you say my hamstrings are overtaxed, glutes under-contributing, and I need to look at psoas/rectus quad tightness (are there other hip flexors?) The only purely glute exercise I know is hip thrust off the floor (barbell over hips) I don't do that too much. It's an odd exercise.

Also as an aside, I have overtight/overactive adductors. That's the first thing I feel when I squat after a layoff, with the good ol' right hamstring. So already I have to stretch or adductors will shut me down.

So now we're into flexibility -- you're saying psoas might be a culprit? So I don't understand the linkeage, it seems tight psoas would make the butt work harder to keep the trunk erect, and the butt would be overtaxed. Would side splits be good for this? There is the good old tried and true "warrior pose", or kneeling warrior that all kids used to do in karate. There are so many stretches and variations of them that it boggles the mind.

_________________Stu Ward_________________Let thy food be thy medicine, and thy medicine be thy food.~HippocratesStrength is the adaptation that leads to all other adaptations that you really care about - Charles Staley_________________Thanks TimD

All: Thanks for the help. This site is great for collected wisdom. I've been reading about this stuff (e.g. reciprocal inhibition from Contreras), stretching more more hyperextensions (like kids do pushups, 20 at a time, multiple times a day, good form), and unilateral hamstring work (weight now moving up). The shoe fits, I'm starting to wear it.

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Majestic-12 [Bot] and 3 guests

You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot post attachments in this forum